Police said a dispute aboard a J train continued onto the Woodhaven Boulevard platform before the 59-year-old victim was fatally stabbed.
QUEENS, N.Y. — A 25-year-old Bronx man has been charged with murder after police said a dispute aboard a J train ended with the fatal stabbing of a 59-year-old Queens rider at the Woodhaven Boulevard station.
New York City police identified the defendant as Jyrell Thomas and said Thursday that he was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The victim was identified as Mesias Lojano, 59. Police said Lojano was stabbed multiple times after an argument that began aboard the train Wednesday evening and continued onto the station platform.
The confrontation unfolded around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on a northbound J train, according to the latest police account. Investigators said Thomas and Lojano became involved in a verbal dispute inside a train car. The disagreement continued after they reached the Woodhaven Boulevard station, where police allege Lojano was stabbed in the chest and neck.
Emergency responders found Lojano unconscious and unresponsive. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Early reports had described him as being in critical condition before authorities confirmed that he had died.
Police said a serrated kitchen knife was dropped after the stabbing. Surveillance video from the station showed passengers rushing from the area as the incident unfolded. Investigators later recovered the knife, according to police.
Authorities said several riders helped officers identify the man who fled the station. Police said officers pursued him to the roof of a nearby garage, where he was taken into custody. Video recorded in the area also showed people following a man away from the station after the attack.
The case developed quickly overnight and into Thursday. Police initially described the detained man as a person of interest while detectives worked to determine what had happened between the two riders. By Thursday afternoon, authorities had released the names of both men and announced the murder and weapons charges against Thomas.
The latest police account differs from some initial descriptions of the attack as random or unprovoked. Investigators now say an argument began inside the train and continued onto the platform. Authorities have not publicly detailed what started the dispute or described a broader motive.
The killing was the sixth homicide recorded in the New York City subway system in 2026, according to police figures cited Thursday. Authorities said there were four subway homicides in 2025 and 10 in 2024.
Thomas faces criminal charges that remain allegations unless proven in court. Police announced the charges Thursday as investigators continued examining surveillance footage, witness accounts and other evidence connected to the deadly confrontation.
Author note: Last updated October 1, 2026.